Kathmandu, July 5

The Embassy of Japan in Nepal has donated eight ambulances to Nepal Red Cross Society.

Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Masashi Ogawa handed over the keys of the ambulances to NRCS Chairperson Sanjeev Thapa amid a function organised in Kathmandu today.

The ‘Project for the Provision of Ambulances in Provincial Cities’ was funded through Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project by the Japanese government, said a press release issued by the embassy. The total amount funded is 90,440 USD (equivalent to Rs 9.8 million).

Out of eight ambulances, four of them were sent to Pyuthan, Gulmi, Udayapur and Morang districts in November, 2016 and are currently being used for medical transportation and life-saving work.

In addition, three new ambulances will be sent to Jajarkot, Rautahat and Dhankuta later this month. One ambulance will be sent to Khotang district after monsoon, it informed.

Prior to this project, branches of NRCS in the above mentioned districts had only one ambulance with some areas having no ambulance at all. “Thus, it was difficult to respond to calls for service, even in the case of accidents or to transport urgently needed blood. The ambulances provided through this project are four-by-four vehicles, providing safe and reliable service even under the challenging road conditions in Nepal,” read the release.